The children were silent as they listened to the guns booming far away again. They were all imagining the islands echoing to-the terrific sound of gun-fire. Mary began to cry.
Her father put his arm round her. "Yes, Mary," he said, "it is something to cry about, to think that we have to fight so much evil and wickedness. It is right against wrong and we have to be strong and courageous when we fight such a powerful and evil enemy as ours. But dry your eyes—you are on the right side and that is something to be proud of!"
Andy came tearing up to the cottage. "I say!" he yelled. "Do you hear the guns? I guess they are waking up the islands! What a shock for the enemy!"
"Andy, was your father angry about his fishing-boat being lost?" asked Tom, who knew how much Andy was dreading what his father might say about that.
"He hasn't said a word about it," said Andy. "Not a word. He's been fine about it. We're going to fish with my uncle, now that we've lost our own boat. Maybe one day we'll save enough money to get a boat again."
"I wouldn't worry about that, if I were you," said Tom's father unexpectedly. "I rather think there is a surprise coming for you to-morrow!"
"Oh, what?" cried all the children, and Andy stared at Tom's father in surprise.
"Wait and see," was the answer. So they had to wait—and the next day the surprise ai rived!
Andy saw it first. He was on the beach, mending" nets, and the other children were helping him. Andy happened to look up—and he saw a fishing-boat rounding the corner of the cliff.
"Hallo!" said Andy. "Whose boat is that? I haven't seen it before! My word, what a smart one! Look at its red sail!"